A whole lot of love

Rock idol Jimmy Page OBE must have faced many crowded situations but rarely can he have been surrounded by so many bishops, deans…

Rock idol Jimmy Page OBE must have faced many crowded situations but rarely can he have been surrounded by so many bishops, deans, archdeacons, canons and clergymen as thronged the jovial opening of the William Burges archive exhibition at the Public Museum.

Setting an example of saintly patience with groups of young (and older) Led Zeppelin enthusiasts, among whom the clerical blacks and greys were a mere sprinkling, the guitarist described himself as "fortunate enough to live in the Burges house which was his home and his showroom". He shook hands, signed autographs and let himself be photographed time and again without ever suggesting that he might be attracting more reverence than the art-architect whose masterpiece is the cathedral of St Fin Barre.

This good humour was reflected in Dean Michael Burrows's reminder that the cathedral was the result of a Victorian collaboration between Burges, the then bishop, and the local brewery,and in curator Richard Wood's invitation to reach the display rooms via the "stairway to heaven".

Conserving the Dream continues at the Public Museum until January